Can with lid opener

ABSTRACT

A lid opener lifts a replaceable can lid from the inside. An exterior lever and interior lifter arm made of aluminum are connected by a ribbed steel rivet driven through them and through the upper wall of the can. Turning the internal lever presses one of the lifter arms against the inner lid surface. The rivet ribs transmit adequate lifting torque.

O llmted States Patent 1151 3,661,292 fihappell 1 y 9, 1972 54] CAN WITHLID OPENER 2,273,229 2/1942 Smith ..220/43 R [72] Inventor: Albert R.Chappell, Jerseyville, 111. FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1 1 AssignwThe Metalife Company, Wemzville, 347,367 4 1931 Great Britain ..220/43 RSept. 25, 2 l Switzerland R [21] Appl. No.: 75,454 PrimaryExaminerGeorge E. Lowrance Attorney-Jerome A. Gross U-So Cll 1 a R [51]Int. Cl ..B65d 43/04 [58] Field of Search ..220/43 R, 43 P A lid openerlifts a replaceable can lid from the 1n$1deterior lever and interiorlifter arm made of aluminum are con- 56] References Cited nected by aribbed steel rivet driven through them and through the upper wall of thecan. Turning the internal lever UNITED STATES PATENTS presses one of thelifter arms against the inner lid surface The rivet ribs transmitadequate lifting torque. 3,383,008 5/1968 Lipske ..220/54 1,818,6958/1931 Couade ..220/43 R 1 Claim, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMAY 9 m23,661,292

ALBE R.CHAPPE FIG. 2 BY ATTO' CAN WITH LID OPENER BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION Cans having replaceable lids are used for many products, suchas pasty compositions, paints, etc. In conventional con-. struction, theedge of the lid may have a closely adjacent flange, which gives itstrength.

Conventionally such lids are pried off at their outer edges. As to othertypes of cans, twistable levers, supported by rivets, have been used toapply a prying pressure. To the best of the knowledge of the Applicant,no simple lid opener apparatus has existed in which pressure to lift thelid was exerted from the interior of the can.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the present invention, simple apparatus isprovided to lift a can lid, requiring the addition of only three parts.Beneath the upper edge of the can, through a bore, passes a rivet formedof a relatively rigid metal such as stainless steel, and having a hollowend and ribs on its stem surface. The second and third added parts arean external thumb lever and an internal lifter cam lever. Each of thesehas a mounting bore large enough to receive the rivet except for itsexternal ribs.

The thumb lever and lifter cam lever are in effect keyed by the ribs ofthe rivet so as to transmit turning torque applied by the thumb lever tothe lifter cam. Each is formed of a relatively less rigid material, suchas aluminum. Assuming that the head end of the rivet is external, partsare arranged in position for mounting with the thumb lever outwardly ofthe can and the lifter cam lever inwardly of the can. Driving the ribsof the rivet through the bores of the levers grooves these bores, thusmounting them with torque resistance. Expanding the hollow end of therivet compresses the connection.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view partly in elevationand partly in section, showing can lid lifter apparatus embodying thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view as seen along line 22 of FIG. 1,the lid lifter apparatus being turned to raise the lid.

FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 are respectively views of the rivet, thumb lever, andlifter arm lever shown in FIG. 1, prior to the installation thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The present invention uses aconventional can generally designated and reuseable lid generallydesignated 15. The can has a cylindrical side wall 11 terminating in anupper edge 12 and a lower edge 13 to which a bottom 14 is seen. The lid15 has an outer edge 16, adjacent to which is a channel-like annulargroove 17 having a bottom groove surface 18.

Extending through the can side wall 11 spacedly beneath the upper edge12 is a bore 19 through which extends a rivet generally designated 20,best shown in FIG. 3.

The rivet 20 is formed of relatively rigid metal such as stainlesssteel. Its head end 21 is rounded; its opposite end'is a hollow tip 22.On the surface of its stem 23 are fonned three shallow ribs 24 whichcommence adjacent to the head end 21 and extend along the surface 23toward but stop short of the hollow tip 22. In the drawings, the radialextent of the ribs 24 is somewhat exaggerated.

A thumb lever generally designated 25 is shown in FIG. 4. It is formedto an elongated rectangular shape, as by stamping aluminum. It includesa flat central portion 26 having a mounting bore 27. Two opposite cornerportions 28 are bent toward each other, out of the plane of the flatcentral portion 26, for easier grasping.

1 An aluminum lifter cam lever generally designated 30 is shown in FIG.5. It is short and thick, tapering from a larger mounting end 31 to anarrowed camming end 32. The mounting end 31 has a mounting bore 33slightly larger than the outer diameter of the hollow end 22 of therivet 20.

The mounting bore 27 of the thumb lever 25 and the mounting bore 33 ofthe lifter cam are preferably of the same diameter as the rivet tip end22. The ribs 24 on the stem surface 23 make it impossible to mount theparts except by a driving or force fit.

On assembly, the parts are positioned preliminarily. On driving of therivet 20, its unribbed hollow end 22 will pass into the thumb levermounting bore 27; further movement will cause the ribs 24 to piercegrooves 29 in the mounting bore 27; and, as the rivet 20 passes throughthe lifter cam 30, the ribs will pierce similar grooves 34 in itsmounting bore 33. The hollow end 22 is expanded outward, as shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, to form the set rivet end 35 which locks the parts inplace.

Referring now to FIG. 2, when the thumb lever 25 is turned from theposition shown in FIG. 1 to that of FIG. 2, torque will be transmitted,through the tight connection afforded by the ribs 24, to the lifterlever cam 30, its camming end 32 pressing upwardly against the bottomgroove surface 18 of the groove 17 of the reuseable lid 15. In thismanner, the present invention lifts the reuseable lid 15 from inside thecan. It is believed that this result, achieved by the deformableconnection described, surpasses in simplicity and effectiveness anyprior art device.

In the construction described, the bore 19 in the wall of the can 10 maybe of a size sufficient to provide clearance about the rivet ribs 24.However, where this clearance might permit leakage of some fluid productpacked in the can 10, it can be reduced by piercing the bore 19 as smallas the diameter of the hollow end 22 of the rivet 20. If the bore 19 isso pierced to a radius less than the radial extent of the rivet at itsribs, driving the rivet 20 will groove the wall sealedly about the ribs24; and such seal will be retained until the rivet 20 is first turnedwhen the user first opens the can 20.

I claim:

1. A can and lid having a lid-lifting provision, comprising a can havinga wall terminating in an upper edge and having a bore through the wallspacedly below the upper edge,

a rivet through the bore, the rivet being formed of a relatively rigidmetal and having a headed end,

a stem surface including a longitudinal rib, and

a hollow tip,

a thumb lever having a mounting bore mounted on the rivet stem surfaceadjacent to one end and exteriorly of the can, and

a lifter cam lever having a mounting bore mounted on the rivet stemsurface adjacent to its other end and interiorly of the can,

both the said levers being formed of materials relatively less rigidthan the rivet, the mounting bores of both the said levers having radiiless than the radial extent of the rivet at its rib, said mounting boresbeing grooves about the rib of the rivet, whereby to provide connectionscharacterized by torque resistance, together with a can lid having anunder surface portion presented superjacent to the cam lever, whereinthe bore in the can wall has a radius less than the radial extent of therivet at its rib, and is grooved by said rib,

whereby to seal about the rivet rib until the rivet is first turned toopen and lift the lid, and

the thickness of the can wall is sufiiciently small to deform andthereby relieve such seal on such turning of the rivet.

1. A can and lid having a lid-lifting provision, comprising a can havinga wall terminating in an upper edge and having a bore through the wallspacedly below the upper edge, a rivet through the bore, the rivet beingformed of a relatively rigid metal and having a headed end, a stemsurface including a longitudinal rib, and a hollow tip, a thumb leverhaving a mounting bore mounted on the rivet stem surface adjacent to oneend and exteriorly of the can, and a lifter cam lever having a mountingbore mounted on the rivet stem surface adjacent to its other end andinteriorly of the can, both the said levers being formed of materialsrelatively less rigid than the rivet, the mounting bores of both thesaid levers having radii less than the radial extent of the rivet at itsrib, said mounting bores being grooves about the rib of the rivet,whereby to provide connections characterized by torque resistance,together with a can lid having an under surface portion presentedsuperjacent to the cam lever, wherein the bore in the can wall has aradius less than the radial extent of the rivet at its rib, and isgrooved by said rib, whereby to seal about the rivet rib until the rivetis first turned to open and lift the lid, and the thickness of the canwall is sufficiently small to deform and thereby relieve such seal onsuch turning of the rivet.